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Linux tools to convert file formats

linux.com — Life would be a lot easier if we could live in a Linux-only world and if applications never required data from other sources. However, the need to get data from Windows, MS-DOS, or old Macintosh systems is all too common. This kind of import process requires some conversions to solve file format differences; otherwise, it would be impossible

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  • pfwd, on 07/22/2008, -5/+49"Life would be a lot easier if we could live in a Linux-only world" - Dam straight
    • frontporsche, on 07/23/2008, -7/+2I think I prefer that "they" stay on their own OS.
    • trispear, on 07/23/2008, -2/+9An ______-only world is what gets us incompatibilities in the first place. Lack of choice always sucks. Even if it were Linux (competition improves Linux just like anything else).
      • DforSpiD, on 07/23/2008, -2/+7But "Linux only" isn't without choice, unless there is only one distribution.
        As long as there are multiple flavours of Linux there would always be competition, and therefore progression.
      • trispear, on 07/23/2008, -2/+5DforSpid,

        Linux-only would make the world without choice of kernel. And the kernel is not an insignificant part of the operating system and affect what the system can and can't do (i.e. before protected memory and true multitasking -- all those crashes)
      • hugolp, on 07/23/2008, -2/+5@trispear maybe, not linux only world, but open source world would be more accurate. Or open standards at least.

        The fact that software companies keep having propietary and secret standards is ***** everybody. Its just a fight between companies to dominate and we are caught in the middle, suffering the consequences. Closed propietary standards should be ilegal, cause they are monopolistic and go against a country eficiency and production. Make workers and citicens life easy and forbid closed propietary standards.

        But I agree that having different kernels is better than just having one.
    • erikerikerik, on 07/23/2008, -1/+2"applications never required data from other sources. "

      what a friggen loaded statement. The first thing I thought of when I read that was "er... when ever I boot up a freash box I have to run any number of updates that require me to get my data online.. aka other source that not on my bootdisk. "
    • Fergy, on 07/24/2008, -0/+1In a Linux-only world Windows and MacOSX would just be different distributions.
  • phibit, on 07/22/2008, -14/+4Yeah unfortunately we have this "free market" crap, and it chose Microsoft Windows.
    • roysorlie, on 07/22/2008, -4/+7Actually, noone's ever forced linux on me, but practically every new computer comes with windows preloaded. I'm not even given a choice. Most of the time, I have to pay for an operating system I don't want.

      I'm all for a free market, but for the free market to work, you need checks and balances that can stop huge monopolistic entities, (whether they be government or corporate), for using their market position to harm competitors, and Microsoft is probably the biggest sinner when it comes to antitrust.

      Anyway, ASUS's new Splashtops looks exciting, regardless of what OS you prefer. Being able to start the machine and check your email within the space of 10 seconds is impressive.
    • jamessavik, on 07/23/2008, -2/+6The free market is most cruel to the ignorant consumer who buys what is popular and hopes that he gets it right.
    • shoopdawoop, on 07/23/2008, -3/+4This is the year of Linux. I just know it.
    • Myztry, on 07/23/2008, -2/+1With computing, the free market was back in the 80's when you could get any number of popular computers and Operating System. The free market died during the 90's with Microsoft OEM requirement that only reallistically allowed a choice of Windows.
      Companies who sold other Operating Systems had to either pay for a Windows license regardless of non-sale, or not be allowed to sell Windows at all.
      Only recently, and post anti-trust conviction have OEM's became able to offer alternative to Windows. A free market is being reborn, but it's not quite there yet!
    • GrantTLC, on 07/23/2008, -1/+2@Shoopdawoop

      Duke Nukem Forever is coming out soon too, I can just feel it.... ;)
    • phibit, on 07/23/2008, -1/+1Hey I never said I agreed... But that's what happened. A ***** platform made its way to the top, and the free market made that possible. That means that presumably, *nix has a chance to make it there.
  • alfadaemon, on 07/22/2008, -4/+8It would be nice to have peace in the world... and linux-only world... and the latest gadgets... and...... then I wake up.
    • erikerikerik, on 07/23/2008, -2/+4...and jump on my windows computer and get back to grinding in wow. And after a few hours of that I run out and grab the latest FPS game, or if I'm really lazy just fire up steam and download what ever I may fance.

      Then after a few hours of happly gaming a long I have to fire up Adobe Acrobat 9 to make sure all my clients can see the document the same. After getting all the feed back I make the quick changes in InDesign and photoshop then I quickly proof for flight, and let the gang press rip!

      And to relax right before bed I plug in my iPhone3G and grab the latest song and maybe a free app to fiddle with.

      After a long day of gaming and working I get back to bed...dreaming of that damn penguin.
      • theaceoffire, on 07/23/2008, -0/+3WoW runs better in Wine
        than it does in windows.
        Steam works in wine.
        Photoshop CS2 works in Wine.

        Just fyi.
      • nmnnotmyname, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2InDesign CS2 also works in Wine...
        Acrobat 8 works, don't know about 9 (there used to be a problem but nobody has tested it with the very latest release.)
      • erikerikerik, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1= every one I know is working on CS3 and or CS3.3 64bit. So when they hand me a CS3 file I'm kind of fuxord if I'm still working with a CS2 file.


        And before any one starts to think I dont like wine, I use Darwine + CrossOvergames.
  • jamessavik, on 07/23/2008, -0/+10Gimme data conversion tools... data conversion bough my last house.
  • shoopdawoop, on 07/23/2008, -9/+1Linus Torvalds is transcoding in his grave.
  • NuchDog, on 07/23/2008, -3/+7God bless WINE so I don't have to dual boot!
    • werries, on 07/23/2008, -1/+2please please let spore creature creator be fixed. its getting so close....
  • NuchDog, on 07/23/2008, -0/+5All the standard editors for gNome and KDE have built in file recognition. I very rarely have to use command line editors and even less often the old dos2unix.
  • jaydedragon, on 07/23/2008, -1/+2wow, um i'm a complete linux enthusiast.. i use nothing but and avoid microsoft products like the plague.. but really "Life would be a lot easier if we could.." understand what the heck you just said.. i THINK you said a program called recode.. but even there.. you lost me. I'm sorry that i am not an MIT math god
  • Norumeni, on 07/23/2008, -1/+3"However, the need to get data from Windows, MS-DOS, or old Macintosh systems is all too common."
    What? DOS????? I don't know anyone who's used DOS within the past 10 years, how would it be "all too common" to be having to convert files from that ancient OS?

    I guess I'll just have to ask bethea...
    • RogueMountie, on 07/23/2008, -0/+4I use DosBox to run old games all the time.
    • 007isbond1, on 07/23/2008, -1/+2my motto: when in doubt, use cmd (aka MSDOS (aka DOS)

      im in doubt quite frequently.. in fact.. im using the DOS 'edit' command now instead of notepad or ms word to type out this comment because i dont want my CPU to overheat again.
      • erikerikerik, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1dont forget to write a bazzilon batch files that mimic an actual program but really is not.
      • MrSelfDestruct, on 07/23/2008, -0/+0Not the same thing. Both are command line interfaces though.
      • melonhedd, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1cmd is not DOS
    • eldridgea, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1Actually, at the moment I need to convert a DOS .doc file to a modern .doc or .odt file. (or even .rtf) Although I would agree I'm rather rare.

      But if anyone has suggestions . . .
  • fuzzweed, on 07/23/2008, -7/+3Life would be a lot easier if we could live in a Linux-only world

    Flagged as inaccurate
  • dedknedy, on 07/23/2008, -1/+1After trying ubuntu I wish I never had to use a PC or MAC again. If only I could run Final Cut Pro, and Pro-Tools on it....
    • bratterscain, on 07/23/2008, -4/+1Folks, I hate to say it, but in this case the old phrase, "Ubuntu is for noobs", sure seems to reinforce it.

      dedknedy - In case you don't get it, a PC is a PC with Windows or Linux on it. Mac's are still Macs regardless.
    • darkharmonics, on 07/23/2008, -1/+2I run a macbook pro with ubuntu on it. Ubuntu is awesome because of the community support and its package manager. I dont care if you think its for noobs, I think that Linux should be easy for the person to use. I would also like to mention that i do run Knoppix and a free BSD server at my house.

      Ubuntu just seems so well developed as an OS. Its easy to find packages pre compiled for it, or if not at least the directions.
  • FMVorenkamp, on 07/23/2008, -8/+3Keep dreaming, you bunch of penguin-turds.

    Buried for linux.
    • lolwutpear, on 07/23/2008, -1/+5i'm about as far from a linux fan as someone can get, but i'm going to bury you because this is a useful, non-fanboyish article, and i still cling to the belief that digg is a tech website. i'm not digging the article, because it's not relevant to me, but this is why the site has All » Technology » Linux/Unix.

      EDIT: i guess some could argue that the first line borders on fanboyism, but i truly think it's an appropriate introduction.
    • LeviTheSmith, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1Why do you bury every Linux article? WHY? You don't want Linux users to know how to convert file-formats?
      What is the point in that?
      You come to the Linux section expecting something else? Or you jerk off on our responses to your ***** idiotic comment?
  • Myztry, on 07/23/2008, -2/+1I don't won't an ANYTHING only world. All I want is Open Protocol, and client/server based (including localhost/localhost) systems.
    It shouldn't matter what platform you use, or what software you use. If the data is yours, you should have a legal right to access by whatever means. And other companies/individual should have the right to develop methods to do so.
    Part of any protocol becoming a standard would be full disclosure of format, transfer of rights to the standards body, and the barring of any IP encumberment. It should be illegal for companies to lock down, or restrict peoples right to access their own data by any means.
    • Myztry, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1LOL. Dugg down. I wonder if those people understand, or are really zealots of religion.
      The more the merrier. Competition is good. Let's have some more. Bring it on.
      But let's just make everything work together.
      Life isn't meant to be a pyramid scheme.
  • jer2eydevil88, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Article doesn't mention converting Youtube video's to DivX using Linux and Open Source apps. Here let me point you in the right direction for your next article
    http://wearetech.us/youtube/7966-converting-youtub ...
  • prashantweb, on 07/23/2008, -0/+0seems interesting
  • vaxguru, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2Love the title. Great double entendre.
  • charlietuna, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1Hexdump to see if a file has cr-lf ? Linux has a utility called "file" which will tell you with much less effort.
    tmp]$ file README.txt README
    README.txt: ASCII text, with CRLF line terminators
    README: ASCII text
  • fotoman, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2anyone else expecting to see a bunch of mplayer/mencoder, convert(ImageMagick), transcode, wv*, netpbm, and sox commands and examples?
  • dedknedy, on 07/23/2008, -0/+0Okay, let me reiterate that for the anally retentive. I wish I never had to use Windows or osx again.

  • erikerikerik, on 07/23/2008, -0/+1digg down, wrong reply link.
  • mastermagician, on 07/23/2008, -0/+2As far as I can tell this tutorial is just for text documents...? Maybe someone can explain to me the practical use of this.
  • bzaks, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Seriously, didn't Dr. Farnsworth create this in Futurama?
  •  

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